devil
/ˈdevl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈdevl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈde-vᵊl dialectal ˈdi-/ (ame, mw)
devil — 名詞
- devilsingular
- devilsplural
1. A frightening creature from stories and old tales, usually shown with a pointed
魔鬼
民間傳說中長有角和尾巴的邪惡生物
A frightening creature from stories and old tales, usually shown with a pointed tail, two horns on its head, and red or black skin.
The old painting shows a devil with horns, a tail, and flames around his feet.
這幅古老的畫裡有一個魔鬼，頭上長角，身後有尾巴，腳邊還有火焰。
visual description of the folklore figure
In the story, the hero fights a devil that guards the entrance to a dark cave.
在這個故事中，英雄與一個守護黑暗洞穴入口的魔鬼戰鬥。
Mert dressed as a devil for the costume party, complete with a red cape and plastic trident.
Mert 在化妝派對上扮成魔鬼，穿著紅色披風，還拿著塑膠三叉戟。
The museum displayed a wooden statue of a devil with a grinning face and pointed ears.
博物館裡展示了一尊木雕魔鬼像，臉上掛著猙獰的笑容，還有一對尖耳朵。
- angel
a good spiritual being, often shown with wings and a halo
文法句型
the devil
a devil
2. Within the Christian and Jewish faiths, the supreme evil being who governs hell
撒旦
基督教和猶太教中與神對立的邪惡主宰
Within the Christian and Jewish faiths, the supreme evil being who governs hell and ceaselessly seeks to turn humans away from God.
Diya's grandmother taught her that the Devil tempts people to lie and cheat.
Diya 的祖母告訴她，撒旦會引誘人們說謊和欺騙。
the Devil as tempter in religious context
The church window shows a battle between God and the Devil painted in bright colours.
教堂的彩繪玻璃上描繪了上帝與撒旦之間的戰鬥，色彩鮮豔。
Some believers say prayers each evening to ask for protection from the Devil.
有些信徒每晚祈禱，請求保護免於撒旦的侵害。
Christopher asked his priest whether the Devil could read human thoughts.
Christopher 問他的神父，撒旦是否能夠讀懂人類的想法。
- God
the supreme being of goodness whom the Devil opposes
文法句型
the Devil
用法筆記
When referring to the supreme evil being in Christianity and Judaism, this sense is usually capitalised as 'the Devil' and treated as a proper noun. Lowercase 'devil' (sense 1) refers to the general folklore creature.
常見錯誤
3. A child or young person who is frequently disobedient, refuses to follow rules,
搗蛋鬼
行為頑劣的小孩
A child or young person who is frequently disobedient, refuses to follow rules, and creates small problems for adults.
Christopher's little brother is a real devil — he hid all the TV remotes under the sofa.
Christopher 的弟弟真是個搗蛋鬼——他把所有電視遙控器都藏到沙發底下了。
informal register: a real devil for a naughty child
Min told her three-year-old son to stop being a devil and put his shoes on for school.
Min 叫她那三歲的兒子別再搗蛋，趕快穿好鞋子上學。
The babysitter called the twins little devils after they poured flour all over the kitchen floor.
保母說那對雙胞胎是小搗蛋鬼，因為他們把麵粉灑得整個廚房地板都是。
Xiu's nephew is a cheeky devil who draws on the walls with crayons every chance he gets.
Xiu 的姪子是個調皮鬼，一有機會就拿蠟筆在牆上亂畫。
- angel
used informally for a very well-behaved child
文法句型
a little devil
a real devil
用法筆記
Used playfully or with mild frustration, not with genuine anger. Often preceded by 'little' or 'real'. The synonym 'rascal' is gentler; 'brat' is harsher.
常見錯誤
4. Someone who gets excitement from behaving in ways that most people consider shoc
膽大妄為的人
喜歡做離經叛道之事的人
Someone who gets excitement from behaving in ways that most people consider shocking, risky, or socially improper.
Ezra is a bit of a devil — he once climbed onto the roof of the school at midnight.
Ezra 有點天不怕地不怕——他曾經半夜爬到學校的屋頂上。
phrase: a bit of a devil
Lara is a young devil who loves sneaking into old buildings to take photographs.
Lara 是個膽大的女孩，喜歡偷偷溜進廢棄的建築物裡拍照。
Come on, be a devil and order the chocolate cake — you deserve a treat after that exam.
來嘛，豁出去點塊巧克力蛋糕吧——考完試你值得好好犒賞自己。
Diya is such a devil that she once went skydiving without telling her parents until after she landed.
Diya 膽子非常大，有一次她去跳傘，等到落地之後才告訴父母。
文法句型
a bit of a devil
be a devil
用法筆記
Usually carries a tone of playful admiration rather than real disapproval. The fixed phrase 'be a devil' is used to encourage someone to do something they are hesitant about.
5. A word placed after an adjective such as 'poor', 'lucky', or 'old' to describe a
傢伙
置於形容詞後表達對某人的感受
A word placed after an adjective such as 'poor', 'lucky', or 'old' to describe a person and show the speaker's feeling about them, often sympathy, envy, or mild annoyance.
The poor devil waited in the rain for two hours before the bus finally arrived.
那可憐的傢伙在雨中等了兩個小時，公車才終於來了。
collocation: poor devil for expressing sympathy
Yasmin called her brother a lucky devil after he found a hundred-dollar bill on the sidewalk.
Yasmin 說她哥哥真是個幸運的傢伙，竟然在人行道上撿到一張一百美元的鈔票。
collocation: lucky devil for expressing envy
That old devil next door still mows his own lawn at eighty years of age.
隔壁那個老傢伙八十歲了還在自己割草。
The silly devil locked his keys inside the car and had to call a locksmith.
那個傻傢伙把鑰匙鎖在車裡，只好打電話找鎖匠來開鎖。
- fellow
neutral and less emotional; 'devil' adds colour and informality
文法句型
adjective + devil
用法筆記
Only used with a preceding adjective — 'poor devil', 'lucky devil', 'old devil', 'silly devil'. Without the adjective, the meaning shifts to another sense. The adjective carries the emotional colour; 'devil' itself is just a placeholder noun.
常見錯誤
6. A supernatural creature that brings harm, illness, or bad luck to people; a demo
邪靈
造成傷害或厄運的邪惡靈體
A supernatural creature that brings harm, illness, or bad luck to people; a demon from folk beliefs or ancient stories.
The old farmer believed a devil had cursed his land after the strange fires started.
那位老農夫相信，在他田地裡出現奇怪的火災之後，就有邪靈詛咒了他的土地。
Talia's grandmother told stories about a devil that whispered bad ideas into people's ears at night.
Talia 的祖母講過一個故事，說的是一個會在夜裡對人耳語壞主意的邪靈。
evil spirit causing harm through temptation
The shaman performed a ceremony to drive the devils out of the sick woman's house.
薩滿舉行了一場儀式，將邪靈從生病婦人的家中驅趕出去。
The villagers believed a devil had taken shelter inside the old abandoned mill.
村民們相信，有個邪靈躲進了那座廢棄的老磨坊裡。
- guardian angel
a protective good spirit
文法句型
a devil
devils
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (FOLKLORE FIGURE): sense 1 describes a visual, physically depicted creature with horns and a tail. Sense 6 describes an intangible evil spirit that causes harm or misfortune and is not defined by visual features.
7. A person who behaves in a heartless, brutal, or inhuman way, causing deliberate
惡人
極其殘忍邪惡的人
A person who behaves in a heartless, brutal, or inhuman way, causing deliberate suffering to other people.
The prison guard was an absolute devil who made inmates stand outside in the freezing cold for hours.
那座監獄的警衛是個不折不扣的惡人，讓囚犯在冰冷的戶外站上好幾個小時。
intensifier: absolute devil
That devil of a landlord raised the rent by fifty per cent with no warning at all.
那個惡房東完全沒有預告就把房租調漲了百分之五十。
phrase: that devil of a [noun]
Neighbours described the murderer as a devil who showed no regret for what he had done.
鄰居們形容這名殺人犯是惡魔，對自己的所作所為毫無悔意。
The ship's captain was a devil who beat sailors for the smallest mistake.
那艘船的船長是個惡人，會因為最小的失誤就毆打水手。
- saint
a very kind, patient, and good person
文法句型
a devil
an absolute devil
用法筆記
This is the strongest 'person' sense of devil — compare with sense 3 (BADLY BEHAVED) which is playful and mild, and sense 4 (DARING PERSON) which is admiring. This sense implies genuine evil or cruelty.
常見錯誤
devil — 動詞
- devilpresent simple I / you / we / they
- devils3rd person singular
- devilling-ing form
- devilledpast simple
1. To prepare a dish by rubbing or spreading a hot, strongly seasoned mixture — oft
塗抹辣醬
用辛辣醬料塗抹後烹調
To prepare a dish by rubbing or spreading a hot, strongly seasoned mixture — often made with mustard, chilli, or black pepper — over food such as chicken, eggs, or seafood before cooking.
The chef devilled the chicken legs with a paste of mustard, chilli, and vinegar before baking them.
主廚用芥末、辣椒和醋調成的醬料塗抹雞腿，然後放入烤箱烘烤。
passive: devilled + food item
Mayumi learned to devil prawns by coating them in hot spices and baking them until golden brown.
Mayumi 學會了用辣味香料裹住蝦子，烤到金黃色。
For the party, Talia devilled some eggs and arranged them neatly on a large white plate.
為了派對，Talia 做了些魔鬼蛋，整整齊齊地排在大白盤子上。
The restaurant serves devilled mushrooms with garlic and hot paprika.
這家餐廳供應搭配大蒜和辣紅椒的辣味蘑菇。
文法句型
devil + noun (food)
devilled + noun
用法筆記
Almost exclusively used in the past participle form 'devilled' (UK) or 'deviled' (US) as part of dish names: 'devilled eggs', 'devilled chicken', 'devilled kidneys'. The simple present tense ('I devil the chicken') is very rare.
2. To annoy or make fun of someone in a way that is partly playful but can also be
戲弄
開玩笑地騷擾或取笑
To annoy or make fun of someone in a way that is partly playful but can also be slightly unkind.
The older boys kept devilling Ilan about his new haircut until his face turned bright red.
那幾個大男孩一直拿 Ilan 的新髮型開玩笑，弄得他滿臉通紅。
informal register: devilling someone about something
Xiu's younger brother loves to devil her by hiding her phone just before she leaves for school.
Xiu 的弟弟很喜歡捉弄她，每次她準備出門上學就把她的手機藏起來。
Stop devilling the cat — you can see her tail twitching with annoyance.
別再逗貓了——你看牠的尾巴正在不耐煩地甩動。
My grandfather used to devil his sister by hiding her favourite hairbrush.
我祖父小時候常捉弄他妹妹，把她最喜歡的梳子藏起來。
- comfort
to soothe or support rather than provoke
文法句型
devil + noun phrase
用法筆記
Less common than 'tease' or 'annoy'. Today it sounds old-fashioned or regional in this sense. Learners are more likely to encounter this meaning in older novels and films than in daily conversation.